Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 23, 1995 TAG: 9503230095
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
More students are completing vocational education programs and showing improvement in basic reading and math skills. They're also taking more keyboarding and typing courses.
In Giles County in the past school year, 96 percent of the seniors with no college plans finished a vocational education program.
In Bedford County, it was 94 percent; Montgomery County, 83 percent; Botetourt County, 79 percent; and Roanoke, 71 percent.
``We are shooting for 100 percent. As long as we haven't reached that, there is work to be done,'' said John Kent, Bedford County school superintendent.
The state average is 71 percent, according to the Department of Education's latest report card on 1,700 schools and 134 school systems in Virginia. The report, called the Outcome Accountability Project, was released Wednesday.
Statewide, many schools have shown little or no improvement in indicators on preparing students for work in recent years. But basic reading and math scores for 11th-grade students have improved in many schools in Western Virginia.
The annual report compares school division and school performance for the past four years. There is a report card for each school in the state.
It includes data on standardized test scores, attendance, dropout rates, overage students and physical fitness, among other things.
Statewide, the report shows that many school systems, including most in Western Virginia, continue to show improvement in educating college-bound and special-education students.
School superintendents in the Roanoke Valley said their school systems are making concerted efforts to do a better job of preparing students who are going directly into the job market after high school.
In Roanoke, the percentage of high school graduates with no continuing-education plans who completed a vocational education program increased from 45 percent in 1992-1993 to 71 percent in 1993-94.
Superintendent Wayne Harris said city schools are upgrading the business, technical and vocational curriculum. The School Board has given it a high priority.
``We stress to our students that it is not a negative to take a business and vocational course,'' Harris said.
Bedford, Botetourt and Roanoke counties have their own vocational technology centers.
Superintendent Clarence McClure said Botetourt has expanded its vocational offerings and is encouraging more students to take a vocational program. The School Board and business community support the expansion, he said.
``We're making a concerted effort'' to better prepare students who are not going to college, said Deanna Gordon, Roanoke County superintendent.
In Bedford County, Kent said the school system's diploma requirements encourage students to take a vocational curriculum if they are not going to college.
State education officials said another indicator of student readiness for work is the percentage of seniors who have taken keyboarding or typing. The state average is 73 percent, but many school systems in Western Virginia were above 90 percent in the past year. Salem was at 100 percent.
This is the fifth year that the state has gathered the data on nearly 50 measures of performance for all school divisions and schools.
Statewide, students increasingly are taking foreign languages and algebra before the ninth grade. They also are taking more advanced-placement and college-level courses during high school.
In the past four years, there has been an 8 percent increase statewide in students taking algebra before ninth grade, and a 4 percent increase in those taking college-level courses.
Since 1991, there has been a 5 percentage point increase - to 46 percent - in the number of students earning advanced-studies diplomas.
In Western Virginia, most school systems have shown a steady increase in advanced diplomas. Several equal or exceed the state average: Salem, 49 percent; Bedford and Roanoke counties, 46 percent.
The report also showed that school attendance is increasing, the performance of minority students is improving and the number of students two or more years behind in grades is declining.
Student scores on standardized tests remained relatively stable, while the dropout rate increased by 1 percent statewide. Students generally are performing better on physical fitness tests.
Findings for Western Virginia schools for the 1993-94 school year include:
Bedford County: 79 percent of eighth-graders took a foreign language before the ninth grade; 78 percent of students missed 10 or fewer days of school last year.
Botetourt County: 24 percent of 11th- and 12th-graders took at least one advanced-placement or college-level course; 17 percent of eighth-graders took algebra.
Craig County: 64 percent of students missed 10 or fewer days last year; 9 percent of sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students passed all four physical fitness tests.
Franklin County: 24 percent of eighth-graders took a foreign language; 36 percent of fourth- and fifth-grade students passed all four physical fitness tests.
Montgomery County: 27 percent of sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students passed all four physical fitness tests; 58 percent of eighth-graders scored above the 50th percentile on standardized tests.
Roanoke: 23 percent of 11th- and 12th-grade students took at least one advanced-placement or college-level course; 60 percent of students missed 10 or fewer days.
Roanoke County: 37 percent of eighth-grade students took a foreign language; 25 percent of 11th- and 12th-grade students took at least one advanced-placement course.
Salem: 42 percent of eighth-grade students took a foreign language; 76 percent of students missed 10 or fewer days.
by CNB